Ken Double, the only play-by-play voice in Houston, to my knowledge, who could perform the national anthem and then call the action afterward with comparable efficiency, has worked his last game for the Houston Aeros.

Double, 54, said Thursday the Aeros have "decided to go in a different direction" and informed him by e-mail a few weeks ago that his services would not be needed for next season.

His seven years in Houston represented his longest stint with the same team in a career that has included basketball and hockey jobs in Indianapolis and Atlanta.

"I'm not going to another minor league hockey job, and this has me thinking about turning the page (on broadcasting)," he said. "There aren't a lot of NHL opportunities. I've come close a few times, but it may be time to give this up."

Double intends to remain in Houston while pursuing his side job, performing pipe organ concerts at theaters around the country, and also has talked with local stations about television work.

He also is a partner with bandleader and radio announcer Ronnie Renfrow in a company called Great Radio Houston, which airs a show on KIKK (650 AM).

Double will have a lasting place in Houston broadcast history for, among other things, working solo on a 6 1/2 -hour, four-overtime playoff game between the Aeros and Hamilton Bulldogs in 2003

"I've enjoyed the time in Houston. It's second only to Indianapolis, where home is," he said. "I got to call a championship here, in Indianapolis and in Atlanta. A lot of people never get that opportunity."

An Aeros spokesman said the team, which likely will return this fall to KNTH (1070 AM), hopes to name Double's successor soon, adding, "The Aeros would like to thank Ken Double for his hard work and dedication to the organization for the past seven seasons. We wish him luck in his future endeavors."

Hamilton on homer call

"The best was Kuiper," Hamilton said. "I thought Jon Miller played it too straight. He didn't separate himself from being the Sunday night ESPN announcer. I felt Kuiper sounded like he was coming onto the field. He put it where it was."

Hamilton, who called Hank Aaron's 715th homer on Braves radio in 1974, said he thought Aaron's taped message congratulating Bonds was one of the best moments of the evening.

"He (Aaron) said all the right things," Hamilton said. "And, I think, Bonds finally realized that Aaron appreciated what he had done. I think Aaron did the right thing by not being there. If he had followed (Bonds) around for three weeks, he would have split the (attention) and been answering the same old questions."

Four DVRs, no waiting

Former Houston radio talk show host Nate Griffin has signed on as a reporter for the Texans' Web site. He most recently worked for a Beaumont television station and covered college sports for a regional channel based in Salt Lake City. ...

Robbie Grossman of Cy-Fair and Jarred Cosart of Clear Creek are among the high school baseball players scheduled to appear in the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic at 2 p.m. Saturday on FSN Houston. ... If you miss Joel Meyers and Spencer Tillman working Bears-Texans on KTRK (Channel 13) on Saturday night, you can catch them on the replay, which is split between the Texans and Bears network broadcasts, at 11 p.m. on NFL Network. ...

High School Sports Live, hosted by Todd Freed, returns for an eighth season at 6 p.m. Saturday on KTBU (Channel 55). Yates defensive end Damion Square will disclose his college commitment during the show. ... KILT (610 AM) sports director Dave Harbison gets some late night coast-to-coast air time tonight, hosting Sporting News Radio's show from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. ...

The Astros' win Wednesday night over the Cubs produced a 5.7 Nielsen rating on FSN Houston, the second-best prime-time average for the night behind KHOU (Channel 11). The Monday and Tuesday games against the Cubs both averaged a 4.7 rating. ...

CBS Sports' David Feherty, on how he plans to beat the heat while trudging the course during the PGA Championship this weekend: "A sprayer attached to the biggest bottle of Gold Bond powder you've ever seen. It's like a crop-duster."